Earth Day event inspires community, sustainability

Winter Park residents will have the opportunity to get outside and celebrate nature at the city's second annual Earth Day in the Park on April 20.

The Central Park event, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will provide educational workshops, live music and interactive public art displays. Music will be provided by The Legendary JCs. Additional music and a live broadcast will be provided by WPRK, the radio station of Rollins College.

"This year's event has doubled in size from last year," said Craig O'Neil, the assistant director of communications for Winter Park. "It's something we started last year after just having tree plantings and giveaways to celebrate Arbor Day. It's a way to promote the sustainability message of the city."

The event, which also celebrates Arbor Day with free tree giveaways, is sponsored by Rollins College and Keep Winter Park Beautiful.

"We'll have some vendors set up, but it won't be like a flea market," O'Neil said. "We have some of our local merchants involved, and we'll have information about how we're working to make Winter Park more sustainable."

Attendees will learn how the city is working toward achieving the Florida Green Building Coalition's Green Local Government Platinum certification, an effort spearheaded by the Keep Winter Park Beautiful and the Sustainable Advisory Board.

"The event is a little bit different from other Earth Day events," said Brendan O'Connor, one of the organizers. "We're focused on art and interactive exhibits."

The event will feature large, interactive public art displays constructed with recycled materials and designed by organizations including ArtReach Orlando and Clean the World.

"Rollins College will be here doing tie-dyed shirts," O'Connor said. "And, we'll have the temporary art displays made out of materials that have been upcycled. These are items that would have gone to a landfill, so the exhibit calls attention to things that would have been thrown away and shows how they can be used."

Attendees also can learn sustainable habits for their own lives through free workshops offered throughout the event.

"People can learn how to fish, learn about native landscaping and how to grow organic food," O'Neil said. "Kids who come to the fishing workshop will get a free reel and tackle box, and people who come to the native landscaping one will get an air plant wreath."

To promote creative and sustainable transportation modes, Keep Winter Park Beautiful will co-host a free bike valet service with the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Board. Visitors to downtown Winter Park will be able to check their bike free of charge at the corner of Park Avenue and Morse Boulevard. A fleet of rickshaws will also be on hand to taxi people to the Winter Park Farmers' Market and the third annual Hannibal Square Heritage Center Folk Art and Craft Festival.

"The event will begin with a ceremony with the mayor leading the introduction into the schools being recognized," O'Neil said. "The schools will be recognized as part of the Keep Winter Park Beautiful green grant program."

Schools submit programs their students are involved with to recycle or beautify their campus and community.

"Last year we had six schools recognized," O'Connor said. "This year we have 12 submissions. We have student-run recycling programs at schools, student gardeners and other beautification programs they are involved in."

For details about the event, call 407-599-3364 or visit KeepWinterParkBeautiful.org.